Gathering Of Eagles:
Kenpo’s finest hour
By AL HOOPER
Any list of the world’s greatest martial artists is bound to be arbitrary, but no serious compilation would be complete without these names: Motobu, Mitose, James Ibrao, Eric Lee, the Castros, Joe Simonet, Larry Tatum . . .
Or these:
Ted Tabura, Dennis Conaster, Roger Green, Alex Elias, Ray Arquilla, Richard Lee, Koshiro Tanaka, David German, Nick Chamberlain, Al Dacascos . . .
And the list goes on. All these unique personalities converged in Las Vegas along with 800 martial artists at all stages of progress for three unforgettable days in mid-August. The occasion, of course, was Al Tracy’s Gathering Of Eagles 2001.
While the success of the inaugural Gathering Of Eagles in 1999 was unprecedented, the 2nd GOE set a benchmark that may not be equaled – at least not before 2003. (The 3rd semi-annual Gathering Of Eagles is already on the drawing board.)
“How are we doing? Don’t ask me now,” said Al Tracy as the GOE’s wall-to-wall agenda unfolded on the conference floor of the Orleans Hotel & Casino. Activity was hectic but orderly. It was also non-stop. Eminent masters were arriving on the hour to take their place on the program. The second and third days each featured 40 seminars and workshops in five different conference rooms, and every seminar was billed as a “must see.”
For good reason.
It invariably was.
Since Tracy’s Kenpo is the broadest based martial arts style in the world, with 2,000 studios teaching Al Tracy’s system, the Gathering Of Eagles naturally had a strong Kenpo bias. But it was kenpo in the generic sense: Larry Tatum, Dennis Conaster, John Nieto, Roger Green, David German, Joe Simonet, Steve Spry, John Sepulveda, Tom Bolden, Thomas Ingargiola, Ray Arquilla, Bart Vale, Bill Ryusaki (Hawaiian Kenpo) and Ralph Chinnick (Kenpo Canada) all teach versions of Kenpo that relate to but vary from the root source.
That root source, however, was present and accounted for.
That would be James Ibrao, a direct and living link with Kenpo founder James Mitose.
It was Mitose who taught William K.S. Chow. And it was Chow who taught Mitose’s art to a select group that included Ed Parker, who became the first Kenpo practitioner in mainland America. And among Master Parker’s earliest students was James Ibrao.
Master Ibrao conducted workshops throughout the Gathering Of Eagles, always to a full house. On the final day he let the class members (many of them instructors with their own successful studios) choose the subject for that day’s seminar. The enthusiastic response: “Tiger & Crane!”
Most of the participants quickly learned there is a great deal more to Tiger & Crane than they ever imagined. Master Ibrao brought a storehouse of detail and complexity to each technique, elevating the kata to the level of – well, to the level of an art form.
Such illuminating moments typified the GOE experience. Students and instructors arrived in Las Vegas from throughout the U.S. and abroad – Japan, England, Australia, Denmark, Canada – and went home as better students and better instructors.
Another such moment was the introduction of Chosei Motobu, son of the legendary founder of Okinawan Kenpo, Master Choki Motobu. The “younger” Motobu, in his mid-70s, accepted Al Tracy’s invitation to make a rare trip from Japan to attend the Gathering Of Eagles. He was accompanied by his chief instructor, Sensei Takeji Inaba, neither of whom speaks English.
Master Motobu stood, bowed, and demonstrated the first and second Naifanchi katas. Each movement was exactly as he learned it from his father 60 years ago. Each move was precise, traditional, meaningful. It was a glimpse of living history . . . as those who filled the hall were fully aware.
The appearance of Thomas Mitose evoked similar respect and expectations from knowledgeable Kenpoists. Not surprisingly, the son of the founder of Chinese Kenpo bears a strong resemblance to photos of his father, who died in controversial circumstances but whose Kenpo legacy may well prove immortal.
Such special moments were too many to count. But here are some others:
Nick Chamberlain is presenting an overview of the late Nick Cerio’s combat Kenpo when he becomes aware that two Japanese visitors seated near the entrance are Chosei Motobu and Takeji Inabu. Dr. Chamberlain immediately halts the class, bows to the visitors, assumes the seiza position, and pays his profound respects. “You should have stopped me when you came in,” Chamberlain tells the individual assigned to chaperone the esteemed visitors. This interlude underlines the fact that the best martial artists share one overriding characteristic. They sincerely respect other martial artists, especially those of rank and accomplishment. And they are quick to show it. Only the immature and insecure swagger through their small lives.
Roger Green, 37 years in the martial arts, asks the youngest member in his workshop how much he weighs. 70 pounds? Is that enough to do any damage in a self-defense situation? Roger Green turns to the class. “Ask yourself if a 70-pound steel ball dropped on your head would do any damage. It would damage me. Karate is about building on your potential. It’s not about being the biggest. It’s about being the best trained.”
Dennis Conaster talks about master keys. He has a high-ranking student demonstrate a reverse punch and a back punch. On the reverse punch, notes Conaster, the student uses fist rotation. On the back punch he doesn’t. Why not? It reflects a common failure to apply the basic principles across the board, he says. “We’re the worst trained upper ranks in the world right now. We need to get back to paying close attention to these basic requirements.” Dennis Conaster also says: “Conditioning and guts take over where training and control end.”
Eric Lee is an electrifying kata performer. He painstakingly guides his workshop participants through moves and principles, then says: “I used to be good at kata. But now not so much . . . ” Nevertheless he performs a kata. Which is electrifying. And humbling – none of the students in the hall looked remotely like Eric Lee. Afterward, when his own seminars are over, he moves down the hall from workshop to workshop. Watching, noting, learning. For the great martial artists, the pursuit of excellence is a lifetime commitment.
Larry Tatum began studying Kenpo at 15. Now 53, he is one of the most respected Kenpoists in the world. “The principles of Kenpo are more important than any specifics,” he says. “It’s not how many techniques you know, but how many you know well enough to adapt to any situation.” He demonstrates “major” and “minor” techniques, reminding the packed gallery: “These are only examples, they’re not rules.” And he speaks of “Kenpo distortion” – running on your subconscious. “God has given us the ability to be aware,” he says. “But how many are truly aware that they are aware?” Seize the moment. It will not pass this way again, nor will you.
* * *
For the Tracy family, Al and Pat and son Mark, the Gathering Of Eagles 2001 was a two-year labor of love. The operative word is “labor.” The sheer logistics of mounting such an extravaganza nearly equal those for the D-Day invasion.
What made the 2nd GOE an even more enduring memory was the final-night banquet attended by 600 guests. James Ibrao served as emcee, assisted by Larry Tatum, Ray Arquila and Steve Labounty. Many awards were presented throughout the evening, all richly deserved.
But the most mesmerizing moment came with the announcement of the 15 charter members of the Kenpo Hall Of Fame. Each of the honored selectees was presented with a magnificent 14-karat gold ring bearing the Kenpo insignia, courtesy of Al Tracy.
These, then, are the Kenpo Hall Of Fame’s charter members:
(NAMES OF HALL OF FAME MEMBERS)
* * *
“Hard work? Sure it was. But we couldn’t have done it without our wonderful volunteers,” says Pat Tracy, who personally put out more brushfires during the Gathering Of Eagles than the U.S. Forest Protection Service.
Those selfless volunteers showed up early and worked late. They reported for duty well before the first eagle gathered, and stayed on the job until the last one had flown.
From the perspective of Al and Pat Tracy, this hardy band deserves its own Hall Of Fame. Remember their names, and thank them if you see them:
(NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS)
* * *
(Al Hooper, promoted to black belt by Al Tracy in 1980, is the author of the action/mystery novel “Martial Law In Yakima,” which draws heavily on Kenpo lore and legend and may be purchased from 1stBooks Library ( HYPERLINK "http://www.1stbooks.com/" www.1stBooks.com); or by ordering from most bookstores worldwide or from amazon.com; or by calling the 1stBooks toll-free number: 1 - 800 - 839-8640.)